April showers... ⛈🌷

JVL
Sweet Seals For You, Always
hello vonnie
PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH
Jules of Nature
Stranger Things

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Discoholic 🪩
Misplaced Lens Cap
cherry valley forever

titsay

oozey mess

Andulka

@theartofmadeline
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her

Love Begins
Three Goblin Art

⁂
d e v o n
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me

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@coffeeandkimchi
April showers... ⛈🌷
The last post I made was about us getting engaged. That was over 2 years ago! Here's a glimpse into our last couple of years, for anyone still out there. ^^
For anyone still out there, Junyoung and I made it official last night. :) I now have 3 days to celebrate, and then 4 difficult months of waiting for him to join me in the States... This should be interesting!
Panic Attack Time!
Quick question for those of you who have been here for a while. I'm hearing rumors that after 5 consecutive years of paying into the national pension plan, you are ineligible to withdraw it upon leaving Korea. I'm going to be missing that mark by just a few months, so that would ABSOLUTELY suck. I've been planning on that money for things like wedding expenses, etc. 10mil is a lot of money! Technically I could still get it when I'm 65, but I'm not really keen on that. It would be much more helpful now. I've checked my pension statements a million times, and it says nothing about 5 years. Does anyone have experience with this at all?
Pharrell Williams - Happy (Seoul Version)
준영 showed this to me today, and I can't stop watching it. I love videos that show the fun side of this city and its people. :) It really does make you Happy!
BUILD FAMILIES NOT BOXES!! REBLOG PLEASE!!!
Stop the blind support of the babybox. While I’m sure the intent is good, in the end, it does more to exacerbate the social problems that essentially force single moms in Korea to give up their children. The answer is NOT to make it “easier” for women to abandon their children, but to give them a TRUE choice to raise them. (More info on the babybox here and stats proving that the babybox does NOT prevent infanticide here).
We believe that every person has the right to family, and that we have a responsibility to help preserve families that are targeted by economic and social injustices. Moreover, we are distraught by the media’s celebration of the Baby Box as a humanitarian effort, while the fight for family preservation led by unwed mothers and adult adoptees has been overlooked. We’re raising the question: How do you define family? Share your story at #BuildFamiliesNotBoxes. KoRoot invites you to participate in our #BuildFamiliesNotBoxes social media takeover on Wednesday, January 22, Seoul, South Korea.How can you help?1. Update your Facebook profile photo with the attached image. 2. Update your Facebook status with #BuildFamiliesNotBoxes. 3. REBLOG, Tweet, Retweet, Reply to Tweets, and Favorite Tweets with #BuildFamiliesNotBoxes.
Just coming out of hibernation for a sec to show off some of the family pictures we had done while we were home for Christmas. Missing these guys already!
(Credit: Scope Media)
I'm back on a mission, ladies! If anyone is a US size 6 1/2 shoe and has wider calves, I am trying to get rid of some gorgeous, brand new boots. They are Franco Sarto tall, brown, leather boots. I ordered them from the States, but just can't zip them up all the way. I'm absolutely gutted that I can't wear them. They're beautiful. I think the calf circumference listed online was 17 1/2 inches, but they would probably fit anyone with average - slightly wide calves, with room for skinny jeans. Let me know if you're interested. Send me an ask with your email address, and I'll get back to you. :)
Panic Strikes In Uniqlo
When I first moved to Korea, I had absolutely no problem with being different. In fact, I reveled in it. I loved the fact that people treated me differently. I even remember relaying such feelings to my mom over Skype. Although the stares were sometimes…
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This weekend, I moved house. It was an ordeal that actually ended up taking about 5 days in total. Since I was simply moving a few buildings over, I only hired a mover for the big furniture. Everything else I own, I brought over in bags, 3 or 4 at a time. Utter torture.
My new place is much better than the old one. Everything has been updated more recently. Fresher paint, nicer flooring, etc. I'm mostly moved in at this point, and I'm loving it. But, the one thing I will miss dearly about my old apartment is my neighbors. While moving the last of my things, I ran into two of them. (Well, 3 if people under 3 feet tall count. ^^)
While locking my door, the 할머니 beside me came out to check on me. "Are you bringing your bike?? You can't forget that! You will need your bike when it's warm." "Yes, I will. I will come back to get it later." "Okay. Do you know when the new person is moving here?" "On the 24th, I think." "Okay, well, don't forget to come back and get your bike!" haha. On the weekend, while in the elevator, she also told my boyfriend and I that she hopes the new teacher is a kind foreigner. She and her husband just love me and think I'm so cute. Well, it goes both ways. I love meeting them around our building and on my way to work, as they take their morning walk around the neighborhood, hand in hand. I will miss them dearly.
Then in the elevator, I ran into the young 아줌마 and her little boy that live a few doors down. She commented on how much trash I had with me, and I told her that I was moving out. The first thing out of her mouth, "Oh! Are you getting married?!?" "No, not yet. I'm just moving." "With your boyfriend?" "No..." "Ah, you're going back to your home?" "No, I'm just moving to (building number)." "Oh, it must be a better apartment." "Yes, it's nicer." "Well, good for you. So, when will you get married?" "I'm not sure yet..." "Well, your boyfriend is a really good man. You should definitely marry him." "Yes, I know. He's very good." Then she wished me well, made her son bow and say goodbye to me, and went on her way. She's an incredibly sweet lady, and I have loved watching her little boy grow up over the past two years. I will miss hearing his little squeaky shoes running up and down the hall on warm days.
할머니 made 준영 and I promise that we would see her and her husband after I moved. I'm hoping that it actually happens, even if it's just bumping into them while walking down the street. I know I haven't moved far, but I didn't realize how comfortable I'd become in my "home" until I moved it down the street. Here's to hoping that I have a few kind neighbors now as well.
I just clicked a link on Facebook that led me to a Korean "black list" site. Now, of course I admit that there are hagwon owners in Korea who should have never been able to own a business, let alone manage other people. There are dishonest and cheating employers who take advantage of their foreign, and often times Korean staff. But I was honestly just rolling my eyes through most of the "complaints" on this site. What? This place expects us to LEARN SOMETHING about teaching by doing a week of training before we start? BUT I'M TIRED FROM JET LAG. ㅠㅠㅠㅠ And they won't give my flight money back if I decide to punk out and jump on a plane back to mom and dad? This is outrageous. Let's all boycott and talk about how horrible of a place Korea is and how awful Korean people are for making us come here. Oh wait. They didn't make us? Hm...
I've been obsessed with this orchestral suite by Holst since high school. Particularly, the 4th movement, Jupiter. I've been listening to the section from about 2:45-4:20 over and over again today. I'm obviously in a mood...
Help?
So, I've decided to move house. Here's the problem. I'm literally moving to the 3rd building down the street from mine, but I have large furniture to move. Is it ridiculous to have a "moving company" come move my stuff? I mean, both my desk and my bed come apart, but the pieces themselves are quite large and incredibly heavy. There is no way in hell I am carrying them down the block. Suggestions, anyone?
Also. Even though everyone already knows... It's snowing! And on my walk home, I discovered that my awesome thrift market purchased boots are not as awesome as I originally thought. Damn leaky soles.
Completely unprompted, I'm now being taken out to a nice dinner next friday by previously mentioned teacher. What gives...
Angry enough for a tumblr comeback.
This afternoon, after having given a December monthly plan for my class to the homeroom teachers 3 months ago, I was told that my (and my co-teachers') Christmas crafts next week are unacceptable. English teachers must do review or some kind of actual work through Wednesday. Even though we did things exactly this way last year, and there has been plenty of opportunity to inform me of this over the last 3 MONTHS, I was told this afternoon. In the middle of final test week. At the very end of the semester. I am now supposed to create lessons for the first 3 days of next week, while the students have their books at home still, on top of my already incredibly ridiculous end of the year workload.
These are the things I already need to complete over the next 3 days:
Dec 5 - Proctor more final tests. Grade. Still have 2 normal classes afterwards. Make homework for next week. Continue filling in comments for all 135 students' report cards.
Dec 6 - Interview students for final test speaking score. Have no breaks. Spend entire after class "prep" time being the emcee for the school's spelling bee. (Which coincidentally I'm doing as a favor for the same teacher who has now decided that Christmas is from the devil.)
Dec 7 - Finish speaking test interviews. Record scores. Input final test grades into spreadsheet. Transfer those grades to report cards and finish them completely.
Also within the next week and a half, I must:
- Plan a Christmas party for our students.
- Complete my part of the new book we are making for the 1st graders entering our school next year. (Mind you, we were just told about this last Friday.)
- Complete lesson plans and vocabulary lists for the month of February.
- Finalize everything for Winter Camp.
- Outline the second book I am making for our after school program next year.
- Teach all of my normal classes. (Well, duh.)
- And try to celebrate my birthday at some point.
Now... Am I overreacting if I simply say no? I'm sorry. I will not change my lesson plans at the last minute and come up with completely new material for 3 days because I DON'T HAVE TIME to do that. I'm not averse to work. I pull my weight and then some at my school. It's a real teaching gig. I've been doing it for multiple years. I know the drill at this point. But can I please just draw the line now? It's not about having to make lessons. It's about the fact that I just feel completely disrespected. My time means nothing. The amount of work I do for my own classes and the things that other teachers ask me to do for them... it's apparently not worth anything. I'm just tired of it. It may be time to put my foot down.
Happy Holidays.
Dad and I enjoying a cup of coffee last year.
It’s that time of year again.
My Christmas…
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